Tennis Rules

The United States Tennis Association rules shall be used in all TAPPS matches, with exceptions as noted in this manual.

DATES AND LOCATION FOR STATE.

The State Tournament shall be held on the dates indicated on the current year TAPPS calendar.

The State Tournament will be held at sites shown on the TAPPS website.

TIMES FOR STATE MEET.

The first matches of the day shall start at times posted on the TAPPS website.

Starting times will be noted on the posted brackets for reference only.

Coaches and Players should be on site prepared to play when the DRAW is announced.

It is the responsibility of the coach to have the players on site and checked in on time.

Check In

COACHES must register at the tournament desk prior to their player’s first match on Friday.

PLAYERS must check in at the tournament desk at least 30 minutes before first scheduled match.

Players not present when the DRAW is announced and are not present when the court is assigned for the match will be placed on a 15 minute clock. Once on the clock, if a player(s) does not check-in , the match will be considered a forfeit. Forfeits are not reversible.

DIVISIONS – There shall be the following divisions in the TAPPS State Tournament:Boys; Singles and Doubles — Class 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A

Girls; Singles and Doubles — Class 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A

BALLS. TAPPS will supply balls for all tournament matches

FOOT FAULTS. This rule shall be strictly enforced

MATCHES/SETS.

In all boys and girls matches, the best two of three sets (add scoring) shall determine the winner.

In case of ties, the twelve point tie breaker as described by USTA rules shall be used.

In the event of weather or other situations, the Tournament Director will determine the scoring to be used in each round.

OFFICIALS.

USTA Officials will be secured by the tournament director.

Each school may be requested to furnish one coach to assist as designated by the tournament director.

SPORTSMANSHIP. All players, teams, and coaches shall exhibit good sportsmanship. Specific care, by the contestants and fans alike, should be given to avoid improper cheering and “razzing.” The Tournament Director has the right to declare any player, team, or coach ineligible who does not exhibit good sportsmanship.

Coaches should inform contestants that acts such as throwing rackets, use of profanity, addressing an official disrespectfully, or any action which brings discredit to the individual, their school or TAPPS will be considered unsportsmanlike conduct and the player may be disqualified from further participation in the tournament. If the actions occur after a match, the placement or medals will be awarded to the next place finisher in that match.

SUBSTITUTIONS.

In doubles, the tournament director may allow an alternate to substitute for one of the doubles players in case of injury, illness, or loss of academic eligibility.

The alternate must be named before District Competition

The same individual must be the alternate at the State Tournament.

A school may not substitute for a singles player or an entire doubles team.

After the tournament has begun, substitutions are not permitted.

If a singles player or a doubles team, who has qualified for the state tournament, cannot participate in all or part of the tournament; that school’s coach is responsible for notifying the district alternate(s) so that the alternate(s) may compete at the State Tournament. The coach is also responsible for notifying the District President of the change.

Any qualifying player who knows in advance that he/she cannot finish the State Tournament, should yield to the district alternate as described above. This is to prevent players from coming to State, playing one or two rounds, then pulling out; resulting in a forfeit in an advanced round at the State Tournament. Schools will be charged a fee equal to or in excess of the entry fee for all no shows.

TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPSPoints are awarded as follows:

One (1) point for each round played + 1 ½ points to the winner of each round.

A bye is considered a victory and points will be awarded to the advancing team.

No points will be awarded to the defaulting team if they do not play the round. The “winning” team will receive points.

total points(singles and doubles) per school determine team standings in Boys and Girls Divisions.

If the points are equal starting from a round of 16, count the total sets won.

If the total sets are equal, starting from a round of 16, count the total games won.

If the total games won are equal, then head-on matches will determine who wins.

If there is still a tie, count the number of players or doubles teams that have advanced to the semi-finals.

If there is still a tie, count the number of players or doubles teams that have advanced to the quarterfinal.

If there is still a tie, a coin toss shall determine the winner.

State Tournament Information

DRAW

The DRAW is determined by the TAPPS Tournament Director and his decisions are final. With no affiliation to TAPPS or to any member school, the TAPPS Tournament Director has the authority to manage the DRAW in accordance with the TAPPS rules and best practices as he determines best for the TAPPS State Tournament.

No changes will be made to a DRAW once the tournament begins.

DRAWS are not final until the beginning of the tournament. TAPPS will attempt to post the final DRAW prior to the tournament; however, the posted DRAW will not supersede the DRAW at the tournament desk at the beginning of the TAPPS State Tournament.

The DRAW will not be configured in the event of players withdrawing from competition.

District Champion and Runner Up cannot meet until final round.

District Champions will face the lower seeded players from another district in the first round.

District schools should not meet in the first round of the tournament.

Players, both singles and doubles, from the same school will not meet until the semi-finals if possible.

Seeding Information

Must be Received by the TENNIS CERTIFICATION DEADLINE

As shown on the TAPPS Calendar

No late information will be accepted

Information will be accepted for

District Champions

Nationally Ranked Players

State Ranked Players

Overall #1 Seed is based on previous year’s TAPPS State Tournament

Champion

Runner Up

Semi-Finalist

Remaining Seeds (2-4) are based on the results of current year’s District Tournaments.

Only District Champions are eligible for seeding #1-#4.

If #6 and #7 above do not determine all seeds, district winners will be seeded according to information forwarded from their respective schools.

If none of the District Champions participated in the previous year’s TAPPS State Tournament and no seeding information is received, a blind draw of the district champions will be seed to produce the placement of overall tournament seeds.

Coaches should not contact the TAPPS Tournament Director only to report spelling errors or errors in application of part 1 above. Seeding is final as determined by the TAPPS Tournament Director.

DRESS CODE.

All participants are to wear appropriate clothing.

Standard tennis shorts, shirts, and flat-bottom shoes are to be worn at all times.